The present invention relates to a data transmission/reception system for electronic timepieces. More specifically, the invention relates to a data transmission/reception system that is capable of reliably executing mutual communication between an electronic timepiece and an external data transmission/reception device using upon timing signals generated by the electronic timepiece.
There have heretofore been placed on the market electronic digital timepieces, having a wrist-computer function, that perform communication with personal computers using electromagnetic induction. There have also been proposed wrist-type electronic analog timepieces that perform pace adjustment by receiving standard time signals from an external standard time signal-generating device by utilizing a coil of a converter that drives the hands (for example, see Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 7190/1983 and 7191/1983). In order for the timepiece to receive standard time signals of a period of one second from an external unit, the receiving condition is set by manipulating an external operating member such as the crown or the like and, at the same time, the frequency-dividing circuit is reset to wait for the input of a standard time signal. When a first standard time signal is input, the frequency-dividing circuit is liberated from the reset condition and a frequency deviation-measuring circuit starts counting. When a second standard time signal is input after one second has passed, a frequency deviation counted by the frequency deviation-measuring circuit is stored in a frequency deviation storage circuit to finish the automatic pace adjustment. The frequency-dividing circuit is reset again, automatically liberated from the reset condition after the passage of a predetermined period of time, and the ordinary operation is started. In the above-mentioned operation, a correct standard time signal of a period of one second fed from an external unit is counted by an internal counter and the timepiece operation is carried out by using this counted value as a subsequent period of one second. The standard time signal is received by utilizing a coil of a converter.
The above-mentioned system is very convenient permitting even a finished timepiece to accomplish the pace adjustment. The above constitution, however, is a one-way communication system in which a timepiece receives a correct standard time signal of a period of one second from the external unit, which does not require the synchronizing operation, discontinues the timepiece operation when an external operation member such as the crown is manipulated to receive standard time signals, and waits for the arrival of external signals (hereinafter referred to as an open system).
Therefore, the time must be adjusted again after the automatic pace adjustment has been effected.
In the process of producing electronic timepieces, furthermore, the module unit and the case are produced through separate steps and are finally combined together to finish the electronic timepiece which is the final product. In such electronic timepieces, the procedure for carrying out various adjustments such as pace adjustment, pace adjustment for temperature or the pressure, adjustment for other characteristic values and adjustment for changes in the pace and characteristics stemming from the mounting in the case, is executed in the stage of the module of before mounting in the case, and inspection is carried out again. When the pace and other characteristics deviate from the specified values, therefore, the case must be removed and adjustments must be carried out again, requiring cumbersome work.
In order to solve such problems, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 56-158980 discloses an idea for controlling the internal circuit from the outside of the electronic timepiece without removing the metallic case without, however, any concrete disclosure concerning the communication system or the control system but simply employing the aforementioned open system.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 57-201886 discloses a method in which oscillation signals from a quartz oscillator in an electronic timepiece are received by a microphone, and are compared with reference signals to judge deviation in the pace of the electronic timepiece, and an adjustment signal is fed back to the electronic timepiece. However, even this method is based upon a prerequisite of using the open system in which the operation of the electronic timepiece must be halted.
Moreover, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 55-36764 discloses a technical idea related to an analog electronic timepiece in which a coil for driving a stepping motor receives other signals while a drive pulse is not being input to the coil. According to this technical idea, a capacitor is connected in parallel with the above coil in order to attenuate a generated counter electromotive force at an early time. This patent publication, however, does not at all disclose the mutual communication system which is the gist of the present invention and does not disclose, either, what signals are processed and by what methods.
In a conventional electronic timepiece constituted as described above and, particularly, in a multi-functional electronic timepiece having a variety of functions, it is necessary to suitably and frequently adjust the pace and a variety of functions. Since the open system has heretofore been employed as described above, however, the operation becomes so complex and cumbersome that a user finds it difficult to accomplish the adjustment. Or, if the adjustment operation is done, there arouses a problem in that the adjustment lacks precision. To carry out a variety of adjustment operations, furthermore, the electronic timepiece must in most cases be once stopped. After a predetermined adjustment operation is finished, an additional operation must be carried out to adjust for the time spent for executing the adjustment operation.
At present, therefore, the users are not enjoying the use of the electronic timepieces, inclusive of multi-functional electronic timepieces, to a sufficient degree in their perfectly adjusted state.
The object of the present invention is to provide an operation system for an electronic timepiece which is very simply constituted, can be simply operated, and can be manipulated by anybody at any time easily and correctly to adjust the pace of the electronic timepiece or to adjust various functions of the electronic timepiece by eliminating the aforementioned defects inherent in the prior art. In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a data transmission/reception system which is capable of reliably executing the data transmission/reception operation between the electronic timepiece and the data transmission/reception device that supplies a predetermined adjustment signal to the electronic timepiece, i.e., which is capable of reliably executing the mutual communication between the electronic timepiece and the external data transmission/reception device maintaining synchronism based upon the timing signals generated from the electronic timepiece.
More concretely speaking, the object of the present invention is to provide a data transmission/reception system for wrist-type electronic timepieces that permits transmission to, and reception from, an external unit without the need of manipulating an external operation member such as the crown or the like but maintaining the hand-driving state, i.e., maintaining the operation of the timepiece at all times.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data transmission/reception system in which a reception means in the electronic timepiece that receives a second data signal transmitted from the data transmission/reception device is so constituted that the reception possible period can be suitably changed, in order to prevent the infiltration of noise.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a data transmission/reception system for wrist-type electronic timepieces which permits transmission to, and reception from, an external unit without the need of manipulating an external operation member such as the crown or the like but maintaining the hand-driving state, i.e., maintaining the operation of the timepiece at all times, stores motor drive pulses that are generated while the data are being transmitted or received, and quickly feeds the hands to effect the correction relying upon the stored data after the transmission or reception has been finished.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the data transmission/reception system according to the present invention basically employs technical constitution that is described below. That is, in a data transmission/reception system for electronic timepieces comprising:
a data transmission/reception device which receives a first data signal from an external unit, generates a second data signal in response to said received data signal, and transmits said second data signal to the external unit; and
an electronic timepiece equipped with a transmission/reception means which transmits the first data signal to said data transmission/reception device, and receives said second data signal from said data transmission/reception device;
the improvement wherein said electronic timepiece is provided with a timing signal-generating means, said data transmission/reception device is provided with a timing signal-receiving means that receives a timing signal output from the transmission/reception means of said electronic timepiece, and said data transmission/reception device transmits said second data signal to said electronic timepiece in synchronism with the timing signal that is received.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data transmission/reception system for electronic timepieces comprising:
a data transmission/reception device which receives a first data signal from an external unit, generates a second data signal in response to said data signal that is received, and transmits said second data signal to the external unit;
an electronic timepiece equipped with a transmission/reception means which transmits the first data signal to said data transmission/reception device, and receives said second data signal from said data transmission/reception device; and
a condition-varying means which changes in an external conditions and gives same to said electronic timepiece;
the improvement wherein said electronic timepiece is provided with a timing signal-generating means, said data transmission/reception device is provided with a timing signal-receiving means for receiving a timing signal output from the transmission/reception means of said electronic timepiece, and said data transmission/reception device transmits the data in synchronism with the timing signal that is received and controls the condition setting of said condition-varying means.
The words xe2x80x9cfirst data signalxe2x80x9d used in the present invention stand for a predetermined data signal including a timing signal transmitted from the electronic timepiece to the external data transmission/reception device, and the words xe2x80x9csecond data signalxe2x80x9d stand for a data signal obtained through an operational processing by receiving the first data signal transmitted from the electronic timepiece by the data transmission/reception device, executing a predetermined operational processing based upon the first data signal, and transmitting the result thereof from the data transmission/reception device to the electronic timepiece according to a predetermined timing.
In the specification explaining the importance of the timing signal, furthermore, the first data signal may substantially stand for the timing signal.